Budding Blossoms - Sufferings and Sacrafices
by Ivvic
Summary: Deals with adult issues and with has yaoi/yuri in it. You've been warned so don't gripe.
1. Sufferings and Sacrafices

I own nothing, and enjoy.  
  
Izzy trudged to the library, holding onto the straps of his backpack tightly, not wanting to chance anything happening with his laptop. He hated going to the library, there were always those people that disturbed you even though they were supposed to be quiet.  
  
Then why was he going to the library? Izzy had a book report due so that afternoon he had to go and find a book. He had already chosen it and found out that this was the only library that had an available copy.  
  
Izzy wasn't paying any attention to where he was walking because he was so absorbed in his thoughts, and the next thing his arms were flailing about trying to regain his balance so he wouldn't fall backwards. Someone steadied him and he knew it was probably the only thing that had kept him from falling flat on his back.  
  
"I'm sorry for bumping into you, but thank you for keeping me from falling," Izzy said as he checked his backpack.  
  
"It's all right," said a familiar voice. "What are you doing out here anyway? I thought you'd be at home at your computer."  
  
"I have to get a book from the library. What are you up to Sora?"  
  
"Same thing. I have a book report due at the end of the week. Uh, Izzy if you're headed to the library why'd you walk right past it?"  
  
"Did I? I must have not noticed."  
  
"Come on Izzy," Sora said with a laugh. They headed into the library and found their books. It didn't take too long.  
  
Izzy studied Sora's profile as she hunted in her wallet for her library card. He was surprised to realize just how pretty she looked. She grinned as she found the card and held it up triumphantly.  
  
"Found it." She gave the library the card to the librarian, a bored looking teenager, and checked out her book. She waited patiently while Izzy checked out his thick book.  
  
Izzy walked Sora home, and Sora noticed he seemed nervous, he kept swallowing and playing with his hands, sort of wringing them or his shirt. At the doorstep of Sora's apartment building he finally plucked up some courage.  
  
"Sora, I was wondering, if you are ready of course, if you would care to go out with me. I fully understand if you don't want to."  
  
"Sure Izzy, lets give it a try," Sora said with a laugh. Izzy laughed with her, his relief that he hadn't been rejected evident.  
  
Five months later Izzy and Sora were still going out. No one would have predicted it, but they had made it past that awkward first date, the small jokes that had never been any harm, and pretty much everything else. But still people were surprised.  
  
Sora and Izzy had even started living together, which was the ultimate testament to the others that they had a great relationship.  
  
What they didn't know was that there was another reason behind it all together. 


	2. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 2  
  
Izzy walked towards his old apartment. He smiled slightly, knowing it was no longer only his apartment. Sora had been so nervous about their relationship she had needed Izzy to take that extra step to prove to her that he cared.   
  
So Izzy had offered to share his living quarters and Sora had moved in. Izzy had sincerely hoped it would lay to rest all of Sora's worries and anxieties.  
  
Izzy walked into his apartment and kicked off his shoes, placing them into the closet along with his light summer jacket. He turned to go great Sora in the living room and apologizing for being late and was greeted by a fist.  
  
Izzy stumbled backwards, blinking rapidly trying to straighten out his sight well enough to tell who his attacker was. His first thoughts were that they were being robbed and Sora was hurt.  
  
"Sora!?" Izzy yelped stunned beyond belief.  
  
"Don't you have any decency? Why didn't you call me and let me know you were coming home late? I was worried about you!"  
  
"I'm sorry Sora, but I'm only fifteen minutes late. I didn't think that it was a substantial enough amount of time to get worked up over." Sora stared at him piecing together what he meant slowly.  
  
"Why wouldn't I get worked up. Any number of things could have happened to you."  
  
"I am truly sorry Sora, I'll try and remember to call you next time," Izzy said finally standing up and placing his hands on Sora's trembling arms.  
  
"You had better remember." There was a pause while Sora studied Izzy's face critically. "You're bleeding, I'm sorry I hit you."  
  
"It's all right," Izzy assured her. He led her to the living room and sat her on the couch and went to wash the blood off his face. Sora had split his lip. As he dabbed at the wound with a towel his mind flashed to the picture of pure rage on Sora's face. For a minute she hadn't looked like she had been worried.  
  
But that couldn't be right, it had been his distorted vision. He dismissed the thought, she wouldn't do it again he was sure.  
  
Sora sat on the couch, rubbing her fist, hitting him had felt so good. But she couldn't do it again, it was wrong. She couldn't hit Izzy, not like she had been hit, she knew how it felt to be abused.  
  
But the release had been pure bliss. 


	3. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 2  
  
Izzy kissed Sora's cheek tenderly and left the note for her on the pillow. It was simple and to the point saying he had gone out for a run with Jyou and would be back in an hour or so.  
  
He left the house and jogged to the park arriving there in ten minutes. He saw a blue haired man sitting on a bench, waiting patiently.  
  
"Hey Jyou," Izzy called out as he neared him.  
  
"Hey, Izzy?" Jyou replied pausing for a moment when he saw his friend. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Izzy said as he tentatively touched his injury with two fingers. He quickly withdrew his hand. "Are we going to run?" Izzy demanded when Jyou stayed sitting.  
  
"Yeah, of course." They jogged in silence for a few minutes before Jyou's curiosity got the best of him.  
  
"If it's nothing then there isn't any problem telling me how it happened," Jyou told Izzy, knowing that if Izzy really didn't want to make a big deal about it he would quickly explain it and shove it aside. Izzy frowned before answering.  
  
"If you must know, I was hit."  
  
"By who?" Jyou demanded protectively.  
  
"Sora. Come on Jyou, it's over and done with, it doesn't matter."   
  
Jyou sighed and let the matter drop though questions pounded in his head. Why had Sora hit Izzy? Why did Izzy seem so insistent on avoiding the matter?  
  
He decided in the silence that followed that Sora must have hit him on accident, maybe thinking Izzy was an intruder, and that it was a one-time incident.  
  
Izzy was also sure that it was a one-time incident, though he didn't voice it to Jyou. If Jyou knew that Izzy was dwelling on it then it was more then nothing. 


	4. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 3  
  
Izzy walked back to his apartment after having walked Jyou home. He saw a flower stand on the sidewalk and bought a bouquet of daisies before continuing on his way.  
  
He went up the stairs two at a time feeling unreasonably happy and letting out his excess energy without a worry that he might look a little silly as he fairy skipped up to his apartment door.  
  
"Sora, I'm home," he called out kicking the door shut behind him.  
  
"Hello," she yelled back. "I'm in the kitchen. Mimi's here too."  
  
"Hello Mimi," Izzy said saluting her with the bouquet before bowing and presenting them to Sora.  
  
"Thank you Izzy, but what's the occasion?"  
  
"Just that the day is as lovely as the two women in my apartment." The pair giggled and blushed at the comment, it was usual coming from Izzy.  
  
"What happened to your lip?" Mimi gasped when she saw the cut. "Were you in a fight?"  
  
"Sora hit me," Izzy said, not even paying attention to the words as he said them. He did however, notice the dark look that fell over Sora's face for a second. Then it was gone again, a trick of the light he assumed.  
  
"Izzy surprised me when he came home last night, I had lashed out before I even thought it might be him," Sora said laughing. Mimi looked unsure for a second but smiled politely.  
  
"I have to get going," Mimi announced. "I was just about to leave when you came in," she explained to Izzy. "I'll see you later Sora."  
  
"Later," Sora promised. She tilted her head to the side as Mimi left, as if she was listening for something.  
  
"What are you making," Izzy inquired stepping over to Sora's side and peering over her shoulder at the pot on the stove.  
  
*Slam* Mimi was gone, the door shut firmly behind her.  
  
"What were you thinking, telling her I hit you?" Sora demanded rounding on Izzy. She pushed at him, making him back up.  
  
"It didn't really matter," Izzy told her. "You did hit me after all, it was no big deal. Especially since she thinks it was all some big misunderstanding."  
  
"Misunderstand this," Sora said in a harsh tone, shoving him so suddenly it caught him off balance. Izzy was thrown against the stovetop, and he knocked the pot over. Boiling water cascaded over the edge of the oven and noodles went everywhere, it was a wonder none of the water got on Izzy.  
  
"Oh Izzy? Are you OK? Did any of it get on you?"  
  
"I'm fine Sora," Izzy hastily assured her. "The water missed me, but your flowers...." The flowers were strewn on the floor in a puddle of noodles and water.  
  
Sora stared at the daisies for a second and started shaking violently. She had promised herself she wouldn't ever hit him again. Then the very next day... what was wrong with her? She couldn't even control her temper.  
  
Izzy took her by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, misinterpreting her shakes.  
  
"It's fine Sora, everything's fine." Izzy hugged her, refusing to allow his eyes to look at the water below him.  



	5. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 4  
  
A week went by without another incident happening, and Sora went out of her way to be nice, trying to show Izzy that she hadn't really meant it. Friday evening she cooked up a nice dinner and had every thing set up by the time Izzy got home from work.  
  
Izzy smiled at Sora and hugged her tightly, completely forgetting that she had ever hurt him and sighed contentedly. He let the sweet sent of her shampoo take his thoughts away and spaced out for a second.  
  
"Izzy?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What are we still standing here? Do you want to go eat?" she asked him with a laugh. Izzy shook himself out of his thoughts before answering.  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking."  
  
"About what?" she asked leading him to the table by his hand.  
  
"You," he said kissing her cheek and holding out her chair. Sora smiled, normally Izzy wasn't so sweet, always wrapped up in his work or sitting at his laptop.  
  
"You're in a good mood tonight," Sora commented as she settled herself in the chair and started getting her food.  
  
"Why shouldn't I be, I'm with the girl I love and I got a promotion at work today."  
  
"Really? That's great," she told him. Izzy nodded and spooned some vegetables onto his plate.  
  
Suddenly a wave of water flew towards Sora as Izzy knocked over his glass.  
  
Sora jumped up and let out a yelp but the damage was already done. Cold water soaked the tablecloth and Sora's pants. Outraged she pulled Izzy out of his chair and hit him so hard that he was knocked to the floor.  
  
"Sora!" he gasped, his voice thick from the blood flowing freely from his nose. He didn't pay any attention to him as she dragged him back up to his feet by his shirt collar. The fabric ripped under Izzy's weight and he nearly landed on the floor again.  
  
Sora dealt him another swift punch and let him crash to the floor this time. Fury swept her features as she started to kick him repeatedly. Izzy cried out in pain and tears started streaming from his eyes, mixing with the blood.  
  
"Why are you so weak?" she demanded angrily as she kicked him again. Then she seemed to come to her senses and dropped to her knees and touched his shoulder tenderly, with a shaking hand.  
  
"Izzy," she exclaimed, seeming near tears. "Oh god Izzy, I'm so sorry. Izzy, come on, get up." She helped the disoriented red head to his feet and led him to the bathroom where she proceeded to wash the blood off his face.  
  
Izzy's nose was broken and Sora had to take him to the hospital because she couldn't get it to stop. At the hospital they found out he had two cracked ribs. 


	6. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 5  
  
Jyou was working his shift in the ER, and could have sworn he saw Izzy being lead out of the hospital by Sora when a flurry of activity came in. It was a young boy, fifteen at the oldest, apparently he had been in a fight.  
  
"What happened?" Jyou demanded as he helped lay the listless boy onto the table.  
  
"His girlfriend beat him and his friend brought him in. He said she was beating him with a baseball bat, so there may be internal bleeding."  
  
An hour later the boy was in a stable condition and Jyou went out to talk to the kid who had brought the case in.  
  
"Hello?" Jyou said to get the boys attention.  
  
"Hey, did you take care of Sam?" the boy demanded rushing over to Jyou. "Is he OK?"  
  
"He'll be fine," Jyou assured him. "Could you tell me what happened?"  
  
"Yeah, his girlfriend Chrissy, he was so proud of her cause she's like nineteen or whatever, she beat him and he never told anyone. I mean, we all knew it was happening but we didn't bother with it, he got really mad when ever someone brought it up. It started out with just the little things, she'd backhand him and laugh, it was all a joke. Then once she broke his nose. They've been going out for a year and she keeps getting worse and worse but Sam thinks he loves her. I thought she was going to kill him," the boy said looking as though he were about to cry.  
  
Jyou imagined it couldn't be easy living with that he had known about it and let his friend nearly get killed.  
  
"It wasn't your fault, although you should have tried to stop it sooner, Sam should have known not to stay in such a dangerous relationship, but you can't keep thinking about what you should have done. You need to do your best to insure that Sam never goes near that girl again."  
  
Sam's friend nodded, looking serious and Jyou was struck by an odd feeling, that he and this boy were in the same boat. He brushed the feeling aside and shook hands with the boy before instructing him on where to find Sam and excusing himself.  
  
"I can believe it's a full moon tonight," a college of Jyou's said as Jyou grabbed a coke in the cafeteria.   
  
"What makes you say that?" Jyou asked sitting at the table.  
  
"There have been so many fights, that one you took care of and some young man named Izumi and three other cases besides that. And it's not even nine yet. It's a shame really, all the violence these days."  
  
Jyou wasn't really listening any more as the older doctors at the table talked about how good things used to be, how safer it was. Heck, they were almost scared to walk home at night.  
  
His mind was still caught on the name the man had uttered. Izumi, Izzy, his dear friend Izzy. He had been hurt, in a fight. He hoped to god that Sora hadn't done it to him.' 


	7. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 6  
  
Jyou ran into someone the next day as he walked home from work, it was six in the morning.  
  
"Ouch," the person muttered, surprising Jyou, they hadn't hit that hard. Jyou looked down to see who it was.  
  
"Is that you Izzy?" Jyou asked, trying to figure out who it was behind all the bandages.  
  
"Yes, whom else would I be?" Izzy asked sounding a bit aggravated.  
  
"Who did that to you?" Jyou demanded resisting the urge to reach out and push the stray hairs away from his face.  
  
"I don't know who it was," Izzy told him sourly.  
  
"Was it Sora?" Jyou asked. The look that flashed in Izzy's eyes told Jyou that he was right.  
  
"I told you I don't know who it was," Izzy insisted. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to continue on my way to work.  
  
"Izzy," Jyou called out at the figure who was hurrying away.  
  
"It wasn't Sora," Izzy yelled over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.  
  
Jyou sighed and went home, intending to talk to Sora.  
  
*~&~  
  
Sora stayed home from work, she needed to figure out what was going on with her. She knew she shouldn't beat Izzy, she knew it was wrong. But lately her temper had just been combustible, bursting at any given second at the slightest jar.  
  
It was such a sweet release hitting him, something she didn't ever want to stop when she started, and she had to force herself away from Izzy. The sensations reminded her of when she had tried drugs. The delicious, intoxicated high, and then coming down and all the regrets that came with it.  
  
She swore to herself that she wouldn't do it again. She didn't want to hurt Izzy, and she knew she could get into lots of trouble for it. But as she made the promise she couldn't help but let out a sigh.  
  
*~&~  
  
Izzy continued on his way to work deep in thought, and was trying to forget his encounter with Jyou. Izzy felt so guilty for lying to his friend, he shouldn't be ashamed of Sora's beating him, although he was. He just couldn't figure out what it was that was making her want to beat him.  
  
He was just going to walk on tiptoe for awhile and let her calm down and fix whatever problems she was having.  
  
Izzy promised himself that when he got home that night he would talk to her, and tell her it had to stop, or he was going to leave. Feeling somewhat better he entered his office building. 


	8. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 7  
  
"Sora, we need to talk," Izzy told her at the dinner table that night.   
  
"I know," she sighed and allowed Izzy to continue, knowing exactly what he was going to say.  
  
"Sora, I love you, but I can't stay with you if you are going to keep abusing me like this. As I doubt it is your idea of fun either I do not enjoy trips to the hospital from your abuse."  
  
"I'm sorry Izzy," she said unable to think of anything else.   
  
"Also I do not enjoy lying to our friends about the physical violence, it does not shame me that you can hurt, though it does seem to make you feel disgraced so that neither of us can talk about it."  
  
"Izzy, it does make me feel bad that I did what I did to you. I don't want to have to face the others knowing they know it too. I won't ever hurt you again Izzy, I love you too."  
  
Those last words melted the heart Izzy had tried to steel against the topic, and he silently forgave her for everything she had ever done.   
  
There was a part of Izzy's mind that pointed out that she didn't seem to be entirely honest. He pushed it away, not wanting to believe it. She had given her word, that's all there was to it.  
  
Izzy leaned over and kissed Sora softly on the cheek. She squeezed his hand and continued to hold onto it, using her other hand to eat. Anyone looking in on the picture wouldn't have guessed at the problems that had been between the two moments earlier.  
  
Although that same person would have to take pause at the injuries that stood out boldly on Izzy's face.  
  
*~&~  
  
Jyou sighed unhappily knowing there was a serious problem between Izzy and Sora that Izzy refused to recognize. If he failed to recognize it then he couldn't fix it and if Izzy didn't fix it then he was going to get hurt, again.  
  
Jyou wasn't entirely sure that he would be able to deal with it if Izzy got seriously hurt, or even worse killed.  
  
The problem was Jyou didn't know how to help Izzy. 


	9. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 8  
  
Sora slipped the lightweight gun into her purse. She wasn't entirely sure why she was getting it; she just knew that when she had weighed her friend's gun it had felt, right. She couldn't wait to get it home and check it out thoroughly there.  
  
She speed to her apartment, running a stop sign or two, she wasn't paying attention. She just wanted to get home. She wanted to feel the weight of the gun in her hand.  
  
Sora finally made it home and parked, slightly crooked and dashed up the stairs. She unlocked the door and threw it behind her, jogging to her bedroom, kicking off her shoes and throwing her coat somewhere in the direction of the living room.  
  
Sora lay back on the bed and pulled the gun out of her purse. She turned in slightly, letting the pale light that came through the window catch it. She grinned as she watched it gleam, and jumped guiltily as she heard saw the door swinging open.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she demanded as she stuck the gun behind her back.  
  
"I live here, or did you forget?" Izzy asked, smiling.  
  
"Or course not, I just didn't hear you come in, you startled me," she said as she forced her breathing to slow and calm.  
  
"You didn't hear me come in because you left the door open. Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," she said tucking the gun into her purse as discreetly as she could and standing. She hugged Izzy and kissed his cheek before walking loftily into the kitchen.  
  
Izzy gazed after her wondering; she was acting a little stranger then normal. He wondered what she was up to. His eye caught her purse on the bed and he was tempted to see what was in it, but he decided not to. Izzy knew she wouldn't be happy if he started going through her things.  
  
Sora cooked a quick dinner and ate even faster, wanting, needing to get back to her gun. She didn't know how she had just become so obsessed with it so fast, but it was almost a physical need.  
  
Izzy's brow wrinkled as he noticed how antsy Sora seemed, she was jiggling her leg so badly she was shaking the table.  
  
"Do you have some where to go?" he asked her finally.  
  
"Huh?" she asked around a forkful of food.  
  
"You seem like you're in a hurry to leave or else you'll be late arriving someplace."  
  
"Oh, no, I'm just a little restless," she told him after a second. She put a hand on her thigh to keep her leg still. Minutes later she excused herself and cleared her plate. Then she half ran into her bedroom and pulled the gun out of her purse.  
  
Feeling the cool metal under her fingers made her feel better instantly, as if it were a part of her that she couldn't have missing. As necessary as her heart.  
  
Izzy cleared the table and put the dishes in the sink, trying to dismiss Sora's strange behavior. But for some reason he just couldn't. He had a bad feeling about, something. Of course it was completely illogical but he couldn't shake the feeling.  
  
He decided to let the dishes soak for a minute and went to go check up on Sora. He peeked through the door and saw Sora, who's back was to him, holding a gun at arms length, as if posing with it.  
  
Izzy quickly hurried away, not wanting her to know he had been spying on her and went back to scrubbing the dishes with furious movements.  
  
Questions pounded in his head, demanding answers that he couldn't find. It didn't occur to him that he wasn't willing to accept what he already knew. 


	10. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 9  
  
Sora glanced towards her boyfriend, to make sure he was busy before coming out of the bedroom, forcing her arms to her sides. She had stuffed the gun in the back of her pants so she wouldn't have to worry about Izzy finding it while she was gone. There was no way he would see it through the bulky sweatshirt she had pulled on.  
  
"I'm going to over to Mimi's for a while," Sora told Izzy in as cheery voice as she could muster.  
  
"All right, have fun," he replied not turning from the plate he was scrubbing. Sora wondered why he sounded so shaky. Maybe he had seen the gun!!  
  
Sora shoved the thought away immediately, there was no way he had seen it, and if he had surely he would have confronted her about it or he would have just left.  
  
Sora nearly ran into someone in the street and it took her a minute to recognize Jyou.  
  
"Sora, if you have a minute I'd like to speak with you," Jyou said, watching her slowly focus on him.  
  
"If its quick, I have to go meet Mimi somewhere, and I don't want to be late."  
  
"I won't keep you long, Mimi normally runs late herself, she'll understand. How's your life with Izzy going?"  
  
"It's going OK, he's really sweet whenever he isn't at the computer."  
  
"He seems happy with you living with him too, but he's been hurt physically…"  
  
"What did he tell you! I told him to keep his damn mouth shut!" Sora raged, interrupting Jyou.  
  
"He didn't say much, I was just wondering where all his bruises were coming from, and I think you might have something to do with it. Why are you hurting him Sora? Has he really done something to deserve having his nose broken?"  
  
"I didn't do that," Sora lied, looking away from him.  
  
"Sora, if you are hurting him there's no reason for it. You should stop soon, and if you don't, well abuse is a crime."  
  
"Did he put you up to this?" she demanded fiercely, before forcing a laugh. "He's such a riot. Ask him, he'll tell you what really happened to him, but I really have to go before I'm late."  
  
Sora walked a short way before doubling back and running to her apartment.   
  
"Izzy!" she yelled as she burst through the front door.  
  
"I thought you were going out," he said pushing away from the computer desk. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"No, everything isn't all right. What the hell did you think you were doing tell Jyou about what's going on between us. He came up to me and threatened to put me in jail."  
  
"You've got to be kidding," Izzy said with a short laugh, but he felt a little uneasy. He didn't like the look in her eye.  
  
"I'm not," she said coldly.  
  
"I'll straighten him out, tell him there's nothing going on between us like that, I'll tell him anything you want, my lip was an accident and everything else was caused by these guys who jumped me as I was walking home. I'll tell him anything," Izzy babbled, unreasonably terrified. He wondered where her gun was, praying she had left it in the bedroom, hoping to God it wasn't anywhere near her.  
  
"It's not that simple Izzy, you keep telling people, and you should know better then that. I thought you were smarter then that, I mean come on, you got a 'prestigious' job the second you got out of college, after leaving earlier then most people normally do, and then you're getting promoted sooner then anyone expected. Life's just perfect and easy for you isn't it, Izzy."  
  
Izzy's eyes were transfixed on the gun she had withdrawn from behind her, watching as she waved it around, gesturing with it as she talked.  
  
"Sora, I'll do anything you want me to, I swear to God, Sora, please," he begged dropping to his knees, horrified by the look in her eyes.   
  
"It's too late Izzy, you've got the perfect life but that doesn't mean you can ruin mine, you can't make me the laughing stock like Tai did."  
  
"What do you mean?" Izzy asked, trying to buy time though he wasn't sure what to do with it yet. He suddenly regretted living his life behind a computer screen.  
  
"You know what I mean, you probably laughed at me with them. Tai and his goddamn precious little Matt, people like that make me sick."  
  
"You haven't used that gun before, have you?" he asked worriedly, standing as he forgot about the danger to his own life, worried about Matt and Tai. "How can you do that, hurt your friends."  
  
"I didn't, because I still love him and I don't want to hurt him, even though I want to leave Matt in pain for the rest of his life. He doesn't even realize what he did to me. He still talks to me like we're friends, like he's still normal. Ha!"  
  
Izzy stared at her, unable to think of anything to say, unable to think of something to do, unable to think period.  
  
"I am so sick of people laughing at me, and people talking about me behind my back because I'm not good enough for them. And I'm going to make it stop. Now."  
  
"Sora, SORA NO!!" 


	11. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 10  
  
Jyou ran into the open apartment as a shot rang out, and found himself staring at Sora's back. He conducted a quick search of the room and was horrified to see Izzy lying on the floor in front of Sora.  
  
"You shouldn't be here," Sora said turning around and giving him a sour look, as if she found his appearance distasteful.  
  
Jyou was still trying to pull his wits together when she started to lift the gun, taking aim. Jyou rushed at her knocking her to the floor but not before she got out another shot.  
  
Jyou distantly noticed the pain in his left arm as he had sure Sora had been knocked out. She had caught her head on the coffee table and would probably have a concussion, he thought, but he didn't care about her as long as she wasn't a danger.  
  
Jyou shuffled on his knees to Izzy's side and unbuttoned the plaid shirt. His breath sucked in when he saw where the bullet had gone in.  
  
"Shit, oh Koushiro, this is bad. Why were you still with her?" Jyou murmured as he took off his own shirt and pressed it firmly onto the wound.  
  
Keeping one hand on it he lent over Izzy to grab the phone. He dialed the hospital and spat out rapid orders before hanging up.  
  
He was looking to see if there were any blankets or pillows handy and was surprised when he felt a cold hand touch his wrist.  
  
"Jyou," Izzy whispered, not sure if the boy leaning over him was a dream or not. He was having trouble discerning most everything, he could barely feel his own body, it was just there, useless.  
  
"Shh, don't talk, you need to conserve your strength until we can get you in the operating room. Jyou spotted a blanket on the couch that was more or less for show, Sora's he assumed and with some difficulty managed to grab it.  
  
"She's sick Jyou, so sick."  
  
"She's not as bad off as you are right now, didn't I tell you to be quiet?"  
  
"Why didn't I see it?" Izzy asked as tears started to leak down his cheeks. "I knew she had that gun, I saw it today. You're hurt."  
  
"Not as badly as you are, please be quiet," Jyou said, straining to hear if someone was coming up the stairs. Yes, there were definitely people rushing up the stairs.  
  
The paramedics ran in the room and Jyou gave Izzy up to their capable hands and watched like a mother hen as his friend was bundled up into the stretcher.  
  
Jyou was about to follow the paramedics out to the ambulance when some policemen arrived on the scene. Jyou answered their questions and watched with a measure of pleasure as Sora was roused and arrested.  
  
Jyou waited impatiently for about half an hour before he was allowed to go to the hospital, though he was told to expect the police department to contact him within the next few days.  
  
Jyou talked to one of the nurses in the ER and got the few details on Izzy's case, but it wasn't looking to good. He collapsed into a chair in the waiting room and began calling their friends on his cell phone. 


	12. Sufferings and Sacrafices

Part 11  
  
Matt and Tai were the first to arrive in the waiting room, with Daisuke close on their heels. They knew by Jyou's expression there hadn't been any news yet, so they remained silent, unsure of what to say.  
  
The four men sat in complete silence, occasionally shooting glances at one another until Hikari and Tk rushed in the room.  
  
"What happened?" Hikari asked because Jyou hadn't said anything except that Izzy was in surgery by the time he had called her.  
  
"Izzy was shot, he's being operated on, but they don't think it's too good because the bullet penetrated some vital organs," Jyou said thickly, not lifting his gaze from the floor.  
  
Hikari's knees went weak and if TK hadn't been supporting her she would have sunk to the coarse ugly carpeting. As TK tried to lead her to a chair she pulled herself out of her stupor and shrugged out of his grip.  
  
"Who shot him? Do they know?"  
  
"Yeah, she's already been taken into custody."  
  
"Well, who was it?" Tai asked a bit impatiently, wondering why he hadn't thought to ask earlier.  
  
"Sora."  
  
"What!" five voices yelled simultaniously.  
  
"God, I knew she was hurting him. I could have prevented this. I should have made him listen to me."  
  
"No one could have known what was going to happen," Matt said squeezing Jyou's shoulder sympathetically.  
  
"I could have talked him into leabing if I'd tried," Jyou instisted stubbornly. "I should gave known not to talk to Sora at all. I told her to stop, and that's probably what set her off."  
  
"Don't blame yourself Jyou," Daisuke put in. "Any one of us could have, should have seen how crazy she was. It got by us all."  
  
Jyou shrugged uncomfortably aware of the tears welling in his eyes.  
  
"Is he okay?" Mimi asked as she came into the waiting room.  
  
"We don't know yet," TK informed her.  
  
"This is dreadful," she announced. "Ken and Cody are parking the car and going to go buy some coffee and bring t up. How are you holding up Jyou?" Mimi asked sitting on his left side, barely noticing Matt on the other at that point.  
  
"They don't think he's going to make it Mimi," he told her, horridied at her cheery tone.  
  
"Of course he's going to make it," she insisted giving him a quick one-armed hug.  
  
"Do you even know what happened?" Jyou asked her, almost sounding scornful.  
  
"Sora did something didn't she," Mimi asked subdued.  
  
"Did you know she had a gun?" Jyou asked, suddenly feeling enraged. "Did you?  
  
"No. She told me she got a new toy, but she didn't say what. She wanted to show it off in person." Mimi caught her lower lip in her teeth for a second. "Jyou, I didn't realize she was messed up. If I had I would have done something." Jyou deflated, sinking back against his chair.  
  
"I know Meems, I know," he sighed. "It's just, you didn't see it. He's really bad off."  
  
"As a doctor you know it looks worse then it is, right?" Mimi asked him in a soft voice, unsure of how to console her friend.  
  
"I don't think that's the case this time."   
  
Ken carefully walked in the room, trying not to spill any of the coffee on his tray. Mimi rose and took two of the cups with a murmur of thanks, placing one in Jyou's shaking hands. Cody followed Ken holding a steaming cup of his own, but he stayed standing, leaning against the wall. He looked serious and detached as he studied the occupants of the room.  
  
"Drink," Mimi ordered Jyou when he made no move to do so. He obidently took a small sip but set the cup on the floor, partially under the chair so it wouldn't be in danger of being knocked over. Jyou lent forward, propping his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands.  
  
"Where's Yolie?" Daisuke asked after a minute of the uncomfortable silence.  
  
"She had a class I think, but I left a message on her machine," Jyou said, his voice only slightly muffled through his hands.  
  
Mimi chattered on for a while after that, filling in the silence, but when the doctor walked in the room she cut off mid sentence. The abrupt stop to Mimi's inane babble alerted the others to the doctor's presence.  
  
Jyou and the others rose to the feet and waited anxiously for the verdict.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, what should happen? Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Ta! ~ivvic 


End file.
